A team of student pharmacists from The University of Texas at Austin College of Pharmacy has been named the winner of the 2025 Good Neighbor Pharmacy NCPA Pruitt-Schutte Student Business Plan Competition—one of the most prestigious national competitions in independent community pharmacy.
The competition, held during the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) Annual Convention in New Orleans this past weekend, challenges student teams to develop and pitch a comprehensive business plan for starting or acquiring an independent pharmacy. UT Austin's team earned top honors following a live presentation before a panel of expert judges. This marks the second consecutive year that Texas Pharmacy has brought home first place—and the third year in a row the college has placed in the top three.
Festivities began on Friday, October 17, when alumni, faculty and students gathered in New Orleans for a celebratory dinner in honor of the team. Many thanks to the alumni in attendance and to those who have mentored and advised our students over the years!
On Saturday, October 18, fourth-year students Rachel Helbling (team captain), Casey Carswell, Hannah Lerma, and Romina Manochahri presented their business plan live on stage. Their fifth team member, Gladys Williams, cheered them on from the audience due to competition rules limiting presentations to four members. The team was supported in the crowd by fellow students, alumni, faculty, and friends of the college, making their first-place finish even more meaningful.
The University of South Carolina and the University of Washington were also recognized as finalists, placing second and third, respectively.
This year's team was advised by Clinical Assistant Professor Terry Weaver, with support from Dean Sam Poloyac. In recognition of their achievement, the team received a $6,000 first-place prize and will attend NCPA’s 2025 Multiple Locations Conference this February in Florida.
"Community pharmacy is where your skills, innovation, and ambition have no limits," said NCPA President Jeff Harrell. "We saw many great business plans in this year's competition, but one was a cut above the rest. Congratulations to the team from the University of Texas at Austin on a job well done!"
On behalf of all the students who've participated in this competition over the years, a sincere thank-you goes out to Terry Weaver, as well as to the alumni and friends of the college—particularly independent pharmacy owners—who have generously shared their time, expertise and feedback.
Please join us in congratulating our outstanding student pharmacists on this back-to-back national achievement!
Read the full news release from NCPA for more details.
